Author: Matthew T. Hora

October 2012, 35 pp.

Abstract: This exploratory study investigates the relationship between faculty beliefs and teaching, focusing on the role of cognitive and organizational factors in mediating this dynamic. Interviews and observations with 56 science and math faculty are analyzed using thematic and cluster analysis techniques. Results indicate that faculty hold 15 beliefs with an underlying dimension regarding whether teachers or students are responsible for constructing meaning, with the belief that students learn best through practice and persistence underlying both perspectives. Case studies reveal that beliefs, goals, prior knowledge, and perceived affordances interact during decision-making. These findings suggest that faculty do not have a single belief “type,” and that beliefs alone do not determine practice. Thus, instructional improvement efforts should adopt a comprehensive view of professional growth and not focus solely on changing beliefs.

Keywords: postsecondary teaching, pedagogical beliefs, teacher cognition, STEM education

Read the full working paper: A Situative Analysis of the Relationship between Faculty Beliefs and Teaching Practice: Implications for Instructional Improvement at the Postsecondary Level (PDF)